Chateau Ste Michelle - 2010 Indian Wells cabernet sauvignon

Today's wine is an old bottle elevated from the depths of my cellar to take its moment of fame. It's a 2010-vintage cabernet sauvignon from Chateau Ste Michelle, specifically from their Indian Wells vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA, which is part of the greater Columbia Valley AVA in south-central Washington state. It's aged for some time, and is now in the prime tasting window.

Poured nicely out of the bottle, no sediment or anything. I let it sit for shorter than usual - only 10 minutes - since dinner timing required that change. Anyways - damn, this wine is smooth and super full. It's got a strong, full body of blueberry and light cassis flavors (that's grape skin), which lingers for a long time on the palette. The finish is a soft, aromatic burst of Concord grape and a pleasant aftertaste slightly hinting at alcohol esters, but not nearly enough to cause any unpleasant tastes or heartburn.

Despite the strong body - it's not aggressive. I think it's aged well, showing that "roundness" of flavor, but also the depth of its heritage. Cabernet Sauvignon can be a very powerful wine, but after almost six years, the aging process made it softer and rounder. dry, approaching a bit tannic, but delicious nonetheless. We paired this with homemade pasta and slow-cooked meatballs and those flavors matched up nicely.